This is not breaking news by any stretch, but by next October the Oilers will have 50% of their opening night roster from this season changed over. With Anton Belov signing a four-year deal to return to the KHL that means three of the Oilers starting D-men from last October won't be in the lineup this coming October.

It isn't just the defence that will have a massive overhaul.

Last season's opening night roster looked like this: (players in bold are no longer in organization)

Those eight along with Ryan Jones and Denis Grebeshkov (not re-signing), Wil Acton and Jesse Joensuu (shouldn't be on roster) and Sam Gagner (trade) makes 13 of 26 players who dressed early last season, who might not be here in six months.

You can look at those changes two ways:

1.) It means the Oilers realize they aren't good enough and had to improve.

2.) You should be concerned because many of the players they brought in last year weren't good enough.

Can anyone say with certainty that the players they bring in this year will be better? I don't think you can. I believe that Oscar Klefbom and Martin Marincin have much more potential than N.Schultz or Belov, but will that potential appear right away?

The Oilers had to change their roster because it wasn't good enough, but MacTavish must ensure that he and his pro scouts bring in competent replacements this year. If the organization wants to grow they can't afford to sign guys who can't play. They need to bring in better players.

QUICK HITS

On Tuesday MacTavish gave a glowing report for the assistant coaches. "I think we have the right people in place," he said. He went on to say he and Eakins will sit down in a few weeks to discuss the team and coaching staff. MacTavish said Eakins will have the final decision on who is on his staff, but if the GM is on record as saying they are great, how will that impact Eakins? If there are no changes on the staff then I believe the coach didn't want to go against his GM. If there are changes, which I expect there to be, then Eakins does have free reign to choose his staff.

MacTavish is big on loyalty, and him speaking highly of his assistants didn't surprise me. I'm sure he believes what he said, and if one of them isn't returning, he was never going to throw them under the bus prior to leaving. I'm very curious to see how this unfolds. I believe this situation will say a lot about the direction the organization is going, how much freedom Eakins has to make decisions, and if he will make a tough decision.

Last year MacTavish said Sam Gagner was one of the core players, but on Tuesday he wasn't mentioned amongst the core; Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, Eberle and Schultz were. It doesn't guarantee he'll be traded this summer, but all arrows are pointing to that. I still believe Gagner will be a 50-55 point player, and the broken jaw in the preseason completely derailed his season, but I think a change of scenery would benefit both parties.

MacTavish didn't mention Yakupov amongst the core, but that doesn't mean he isn't high on him. I doubt the Oilers can get fair value for Yakupov this summer, and I get the sense they believe he can still play a big role in the future. MacTavish will try to hard to find a 2nd line centre, a playmaker who is good defensively, who will compliment Yakupov and allow him to succeed.

The Oilers need more scoring from their 5th-12th forwards. I expect Yakupov to be better next year, but they need decent production from a few others. Boyd Gordon and Matt Hendricks are good role players, and won't produce much, which is fine, but here are a few UFA options who could help.

Mikhail Grabovski. He isn't perfect, but he possesses the puck well and can produce.Dave Bolland. If he wants $5 million/year then pass. He can chip in with 30-35 points and is very good defensively. Excellent 3rd line guy who could move up to 2nd line for a few games if needed.Brian Boyle. Would add size down the middle or on the wing. Outside of one 20-goal season he hasn't been very consistent offensively, but he does have decent offensive skills.Devin Setoguchi. Good complementary player. He likely wouldn't cost much, but the former #8 overall pick has skills despite a poor season in Winnipeg. Nikolai Kulemin. A big body who is responsibly defensively, produces shots and chances. He scored 61 goals his first three seasons, but has only scored 23 in his past 188 games. He could be a solid 3rd line left winger.

There are some big name offensive players like Tomas Vanek, Marian Gaborik, Matt Moulson and Milan Michalek, but all of them are left wingers and the Oilers have Hall and Perron, so I don't see why you would add more top salaries on the left wing. If the Oilers were going to spend big in free agency then I'd go after centre Paul Stastny.

Stastny is 28 and has become a solid two-way player. He's exactly what the Oilers need, but if he tests the market I think he'll be the most sought after UFA and will command $6-6.5 million over 7 years.

MacTavish said he won't go after any middle of the road D-men, instead he'd rather give an opportunity to Klefbom, Marincin or Darnell Nurse. That makes sense, as long as his definition of middle of the road refers to guys like Grebeshkov, Belov, Philip Larsen, Corey Potter or Mark Fraser. I don't see any reason to sign players like that, but I'd assume he is still open to signing a proven veteran defender.

The Oilers need some experience on the backend other than Andrew Ference. Last summer I said they should look at Ron Hainsey, and he would have been better than any of the five aforementioned D-men. I'd still consider him, but they also need a right shot veteran. Matt Greene would help their leadership and size, and even though his footspeed and puckmoving skills aren't great, I wouldn't have an issue with him on their third pairing. The free agent list of defenders doesn't have many big, strong, defensively sound players, but MacTavish has to get a proven player, rather than a wildcard.

I understand people are concerned about his defensive play, but I don't need him to be great defensively, just solid. He needs to work on when to pinch and when to stay back, but his offensive instincts are very good. He excels in that area, and as he matures and learns the defensive side of the game he will be very valuable. A good comparable could be Matt Niskanen. Niskanen's first two seasons were fairly good, then he struggled for a few before being dealt to Pittsburgh, and now at 27 he has emerged as a very good D-man.

It takes time for most D-men to develop, especially those who were pure offensive D-men in college or junior, and I suspect that Schultz will prove many of his detractors wrong in the future.

A huge thank you to Page the Cleaner. They wanted to get involved and offered free dry cleaning to anyone who donates a suit to The Gregor Foundation. You have one week left to make a donation. Click here to find out which Page the Cleaner location you can drop your suit off at.

The OKC Barons lost 2-1 to first place Texas last night, but they still sit in 8th place with two games remaining. The Barons have a two-point lead on Charlotte and Rockford. Their final two games are Friday and Saturday against the last-place Iowa Wild. The Barons own the tiebreaker over Rockford, but not Charlotte. If they pick up three points this weekend they are in the playoffs, and they could guarantee a spot Friday night if they win and Charlotte loses to Milwaukee.

It would be great for Klefbom, Nurse, Lander, Pitlick and the rest of the Barons to get some playoff experience. Nurse has played very well according to Todd Nelson and the more experience those young players get the better prepared they will be to battle for a spot at Oilers training camp in October.

I only see room for one of Klefbom or Nurse in Edmonton next season, and maybe neither to start the season, but both will come to camp hungry to make the team. I'd send Nurse back to junior just to get more seasoning, but at some point soon it will be a refreshing change when the Oilers can send some players down who are actually ready for the NHL, but didn't make it because they have too many quality NHL players.

One of Canada's most versatile sports personalities. Jason hosts The Jason Gregor Show, weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., on TSN 1260, and he writes a column every Monday in the Edmonton Journal. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JasonGregor

I am old enough to remember when Paul Coffey started here and the exact same comments were made...I remember many fans wanted to trade Coffey after the first year or bury him in the AHL forever...I remember them booing him when ever he had a defensive lapse...crazy!!!
Im not saying Justin Shultz is Coffey but patience is the key to young defensemen. People know this but still act like idiots when it comes to commenting on players.

I'm still betting Gagner is in Oiler silks in the fall. I just don't see any trade that makes sense, and I don't see them dumping him for the 3rd-4th round pick that hes currently worth, with no one challenging for the 2nd line spot.

It takes two to tango, and I don't see anyone wanting to do the Oilers favours.

Bring in all the talent you want. Having them play a spazmatic system a minor coach could exploit, how will things improve? McT's state of the union address did nothing to convince me other than now ALL the empire is getting new clothes.

I can see the oilers drafting Leon, and the flames getting Bennet. this gives the flames Monahan/Bennet and the oilers RNH/Draisaitl. Out of the 2, who has more compete and will to win down the middle? My money is on Burke and the flames to put together a playoff team long before the oilers. I doubt they'll even finish lower then oilers at any point

I totally agree on Justin Schultz. He's a young guy who's going to get better and better. He'll never be a defensive stalwart but I think there's a place for him on this team. Part of the issue with this team is they don't have great puck movers from the back end. Schultz is somebody who can actually make plays from the blueline. When this team actually becomes decent, Schultz will be a piece of the puzzle. He won't be their best dman but he'll be part of the solution, I think.

I think that depending on what happens in the next while with the Assts. Specifically Bucky and Smith with say a lot about this franchise. Personally his comments supporting these two from the Ole boys club angered me and all the rest of the Oiler fans tired of watching these guys pat each other on their backs as this one great franchise burns in the background.

Through the last 3 coaches how do the asst coaches remain? All MacT said was how their experience is valuable? FOR WHAT?! What has improved PP=NO, Defensive play=NO. They say the players have been lacking the fundamentals of the game... Well damn shouldn't the asst coaches be working on that? Name one bloody thing these two have improved in all these years and coaches? What a joke.

Pro Scouting: It is yet another area that we have seen very little change if at all this past 7-8 years and what a bunch of garbage overall these guys have brought to the table?! Seriously the bad deal list is far greater then the good list. But here we are about to turn over 50% of the team and trust this bunch of losers to do it. Connor McDavid is a real possibility. Good thing the pro scouts aren't our amateur scouts thats all i can say good.

I am old enough to remember when Paul Coffey started here and the exact same comments were made...I remember many fans wanted to trade Coffey after the first year or bury him in the AHL forever...I remember them booing him when ever he had a defensive lapse...crazy!!!
Im not saying Justin Shultz is Coffey but patience is the key to young defensemen. People know this but still act like idiots when it comes to commenting on players.

Take Hendricks took less money to go to Nashville now is stuck where he didn't want to be.

Hypothetically we can all fix the team as arm chair GM's but fact is that real people, players will not come here if they have the choice.

We will get more bottom of the road free agents and less value than we want for any trades. Hopefully Eckblad falls to third pick and he develops before the kids contracts are up (Nurse & Klefbom too) than just maybe we will see a playoff game. I sure hope I am wrong but nothing our illustrious management has said or done makes me think anything will change.

Lol I look at the opening lines ....No wonder yakupov called his agent...The moment Eakins put Smyth on the first line my optimism for the year plummeted. I know the opinion on yakupov is split but I would bet it closely follows the fire or keep Eakins position of most people.

The D is going to be hard to fix via free agency this year. Largely because hat's available isn't great, but more so the ones worth getting are mostly L handed. If Marincin, and Klefbomb are up next year, then that's 3 L handed defensemen already. So either both Klefbomb and Nurse stay down, they look for a right hander, or someone plays their off position.

Not to mention, if they did get a Left handed vet like Markov, then who mentors Marincin? Petry?

Instead, I would look to grab two vets, one top two guy for the left like Markov or Timmonen to play on a top pairing with either Schultz or Petry.

Then look to grab a vet that is solid but comes cheap to play on the third pairing with Marincin. Of those guys available, I hate to say it but Tom Gilbert at 2 mil per?

Markov Petry

Ferrance Schultz

Marincin Gilbert

What does everyone think of this idea?

i don't think these 2 signings improve the Oilers "D" enough. i still think these 6 would play too soft of a physical game on the back end, and frankly, i am not a fan of Gilbert. i'd rather bite the bullet with Klefbom than sign Gilbert!

Ya ya whatever. More roster changes coming woohoo. When this team sucks next year will they finally get rid of Lowe?? But please keep Bucky and Smith, the improvement they've helped with has been enormous. What did Mac say? "They work well together" we'll my 5 year old niece and nephew work well together, maybe they should get hired on

Shultz has been just shy of .5 points per game for his first two seasons.

Every Oiler fan was thrilled when he chose us. We should not blame his development curve on him. OMG a defenceman who didn't become a superstar in two seasons! Trade em, burry em! This is why no one wants to play here.

@druds

Thanks for giving fans some perspective. Hopefully we can bring in the guys needed to help Schultz instead of this horrible Oilers development system of throwing all our kids in the deep end. Then yelling at them when they don't instantly master the butterfly because they're too busy trying to tread water.

I don't understand all the people that are crapping on MacTavish. He's done a fairly good job in his first year on the job. Every rookie GM makes mistakes. Chiarelli traded Versteeg for Brandon Bochenski on his first year of the job.

Perron and Scrivens are good points but until he has the balls to fire Smith, Bucky & Chabot I will not be happy

Just like his predecessor Tambellini,Mactavish is saying the same things Tambellini used to,here in Oiler country its always wait till next season,yet when next season comes,its the same old results, 8 years and counting now.There are obvious management,coaching and scouting issues in this organization, to miss the playoffs for 8 years and to still think you have the right people in place makes absolutely no sense,you probably could get away with this in an southern American hockey market were the fan base doesn't care or does not know whats going on,but really in Edmonton this has gone on for to long and the sooner Katz makes wholesale changes and brings in experienced hockey personal, the sooner this team can get back to respectability and making the playoffs,until then everyone get your drinking cups ready as the organization hands out the annual Kool Aid again and again......!!!!

I don't understand all the people that are crapping on MacTavish. He's done a fairly good job in his first year on the job. Every rookie GM makes mistakes. Chiarelli traded Versteeg for Brandon Bochenski on his first year of the job.

Right now Stasny is a 1st Line C getting paid 6.6 mill on a play off team, that is only going to get better and better as they develop their young core. It's also a team that can afford to sign him back to another big contract, and look at possibly trading him for good assets when it comes time to give a big contract to Mckinnon in 2 years.

Make no mistake I'd also love to see Stasny here, but if I was him, I know which one I'd choose.

"We’re way further ahead in my mind. I know that is debatable. You can analyze that and draw your own conclusions. But in my mind we’re way further ahead right now than we were at this point last year.”

This quote from MacT (as well as others) has me very concerned. I am actually a MacT supporter and feel he is he capable of turning things around. Then I read this quote I'm thinking - "were you watching the same team as I was?" Now, he has probably forgotten more about hockey than I will ever know, but when he says things like this and then endorses a coaching staff that had a terrible power play, soft d-zone coverage all year, I wonder what I am missing. I guess I'll just have to put trust in MacTavish and hope for the best.

We might need to re-re-re-rebuild. Comparing this season to the last, apples to apples with similar sample sizes now. Last year, against Western Conference teams, the Oilers managed to get 45 points in 48 games or 0.9375 ppg. This year, against the Western Conference and Detroit, the Oilers managed 36 points in 52 games or 0.6923 ppg.

So we can say that last year's team got 1.3542 (0.9375/0.6923) times as many points against similar competition. If the 2013 team played in the 2014 season, we could extrapolate that they would have made 91 points (1.3542 x 67 pts this year) which would have put them into a tiebreaker for the final wild card spot.

So all the monkeying around the team did this year (players, coach, systems) basically took them from playoff competitive to bottom of the barrel yet again. With basically no positive outcomes this season, it's hard to have faith anymore.

Ekblad will be gone so Draisitl it will be. Package Gags, one or more of any d prospects except Nurse and Klefbom plus picks or prospects to aquire a top notch D man. Pay the price for Stastny.That is my dream summer. And fire Eakins.

Kevin Lowe Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith must wake up every morning and ask themselves is today the day they expose me for being a fraud, Or are they bulletproof.

Don't forget the goalie coach!... Goalies arrive, do well wither and die. It's been a revolving door, only Rollie who was old,smart and game enough to resist the poison fed to all tenders. Rollie would be an excellent goal coach imo

Ah, the yearly off-season question frustration. The optimist in me says we'll be better. Much better goaltending, young blueliners showing well and ready for a role on the team, coaching continuity..

And then I remember last off season... And the offseason before that, and the one before... There's always just enough positive to give a little hope, and so many reasons to predict that next season will be more of the same.

Maybe Goaltending did 'break' the team in the first 20 games. Maybe Gagner is a much better player, and his jaw was the cause if the problems. Maybe Nuge will improve a lot more because he doesn't have to worry about the shoulder all summer. Maybe Marincin, Klefbomb and even Nurse are ready and for real. Then again, maybe we're just bad. #Sisyphus

i think RNH is your top line center. i like the notion of Stastny as 2nd line center, but also on a 2-3 yr deal. "if" they don't get Ekblad then i'm still a Reinhart guy, but regardless a center it will be. so let that pick either go back to junior for 1 more year or stick them on the 3rd line. develop.

defense well that's a different, more convoluted ball of wax. i hope Nurse can do what MacT clearly thinks he can. i think he'll be good but do we need to rush him next year? that kid fills out he'll be a beast. let's not break him before he does. also let's not ask the world of Klefbom and Marincin. yet.

i'm no expert, just a guy who thinks - other than MacT, maybe Eakins - management is the biggest impediment to the Oilers success. owner included.

I'm still betting Gagner is in Oiler silks in the fall. I just don't see any trade that makes sense, and I don't see them dumping him for the 3rd-4th round pick that hes currently worth, with no one challenging for the 2nd line spot.

It takes two to tango, and I don't see anyone wanting to do the Oilers favours.

We were at the Oil Kings playoff game last year watching Seth Jones completely dismantle the team.

One of my more, enigmatic friends noticed of all people the Blues scout a few rows down. So naturally he went to pick his brain. Now I wasn't there, but my friend is not real big on lying, and he said the topic of Magnus came up. The scout said they had absolutely no interest in Magnus. Kevin Lowe and behold, we get Perron for Magnus and a pick. Mac T turned an unproven LW - who's biggest season came in his rookie year when he scored 34 points - into David Perron who nearly had a career year her playing on the LW and got 57 points.

Imagine what he can do with a 2nd Line C who is second from his draft year in total points, only behind Patrick Kane.

Nothing being bought in to excite anyone , and trying to salvage a lot out of AHL has done little in the past and doubtfully much more next season. We are going in worse next season so far . Wait and see if MacT. can actually accomplish making us better thru trades or acquisitions outside current club and AHL . Excitement for this club at an all time low for now ( no pun intended).

Disappointed Nuge, Eberle and Hall would not take opportunity to play more hockey with the worlds coming up . They already have six months off to stew how bad the season went . Their progress should grow playing in that tournament - not digress as their season had .

Zero chance Markov signs in Edmonton. He turns 36 in December. He'll want to play on a contender, not a team hoping to compete for 8th in the conference.

I agree. I don't think he comes here either. But if I'm the GM of the Edmonton Oilers, I sure am going to try. I'd do everything to site a team like Colorado who seemed like they were just a goal tender away from being the team they are.

If not then your looking at a trade, which always circles back to Yak and Gagner, which if fine if we sign Stasny or Legwand, but they are likely in the same boat as Markov wanted to go to a contender. The only way to become a contender is to overpay for guys like these, or trade away one of the wonder kids.